


Thin Walls

by Saiyurimai



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Additional Warnings Apply, Alternate Universe, F/M, Healing, Loss, References to Depression, Slow Burn, Songfic, Suicide Attempt, Triggers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2019-02-27 23:38:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13259004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saiyurimai/pseuds/Saiyurimai
Summary: Edge lives in an apartment that has very thin walls, and every morning he hears his neighbor sing in the shower. Until one day it goes quiet...





	1. The Sound of Silence

**Author's Note:**

> This may or may not be very long, I got the idea to write something down and so far I like it but don't know how much steam I have for it yet. There are mentions of suicide and attempted suicide and depression so be aware of that

Edge was up before his alarm this morning, reaching over and turning it off as he sat up in bed, stretching a little as he checked the clock and went into the bathroom to brush his teeth. He’d just started brushing his teeth when on cue he heard the water to the shower turn on on the other side of the wall. The walls were pretty thin in these apartments and every morning at 6:30 almost on the dot he could hear her voice on the other side.

 

He couldn’t help the little smile that came to his face as he heard his neighbor start singing the lyrics to some popular song that he’d hear on the radio. He stood there quietly as he heard her get into the shower, singing at the top of her lungs but…it was always on key. Always in tune. She had a great voice. He thought to himself as he finished brushing his teeth, leaning up against the wall and closing his eyes, just listening to it.

 

He’d never actually spoken to his neighbor, only waved to her a couple of times or said a curt hello. She’ was cute though, for a human anyways and she seemed nice enough. It wasn’t often that a human would be nice to someone like him. It wasn’t like he was overtly mean or nasty, considering the fact that he he’d come from a rather vicious timeline himself he just looked terrifying.

 

He’d moved out of the house with his brother who was dating the human that released all of them and moved into this modest apartment. At first the neighbor’s daily ritual of singing in the shower had annoyed him. He liked quiet in the mornings, especially on his days off but after a couple months and her not showing any signs of stopping he started to realize that she was actually quite good.

 

Now, he didn’t mind so much waking up early on his days off, because he would be graced with her voice. He heard the shower turn off and listened to her finish the song, only catching little notes here and there as she moved out of the bathroom and went about her day. Edge opened his sockets and sighed. Now he could start his day with a nice warm cup of coffee.

 

The next couple of weeks went by with this same routine. Edge getting up, hearing the shower run, listening to his neighbor sing, getting his coffee, going to work. Wash, rinse, repeat. One morning he got up, waiting to hear that song again, moving automatically through his daily routine. Silence. 6:35. 6:50…Still silence. No running water, no music. Just. Silence.

 

Edge frowned as he listened intently for her to make a sound. But…there was nothing. He let out an annoyed growl and went about his day. Now ruined because his routine was totally disrupted. He knew that it wasn’t really your duty to entertain him. Especially since it wasn’t like she knew he listened in every morning. The next morning was the same way. Silence. And then a third day of the same. Now he was starting to get worried. What if she had moved away? Or gotten sick? Or hurt? On his day off he sat in his apartment in silence and he could of sworn he heard her moving around in her apartment next door. There was a little bit of hope that he would hear her sing again.

 

But again…just quiet. It went on like this for almost a month. He didn’t even see her anymore. The days of waking up and hearing her voice rise and fall through the walls were becoming a distant memory. Edge’s mood was positively melancholy. His words were clipped and sharp to people more so than usual. The music was gone. And he was starting to hate the silence.

 

One morning he was in the bathroom brushing his teeth glaring at his reflection when he heard a sound on the other side of the wall. His sockets widened in hope only to be disappointed when he heard the familiar sound of crying. His soul sank in his rib cage at the sound. He leaned against the wall, listening for a moment to her crying. He sighed, the lyrics coming to him without thinking.

**“Hello darkness, my old friend…**

**I’ve come to talk with you again**

**Because a vision softly, creeping…”**

His voice started softly, filling the silence, not knowing why he was doing it in the first place but…it felt right…

**“Left its seeds while I was, sleeping**

**And the vision, that was planted in my brain…still remains**

**Within the sound of silence**

**In restless dreams I walked alone”**

The crying seemed to quiet a little bit, but still he felt the need to go on. To finish what he started. If she wasn’t going to then it was up to him.

**“Narrow streets of cobblestone**

**Neath the halo of a streetlamp**

**I turned my collar to the cold and damp**

**When my eyes were stabbed by**

**The flash of a neon light**

**That split the night**

**And touched the sound of silence**

**And in the naked light I saw”**

He paused for a moment, hearing quiet on the other side and sighing to himself. And then…so soft he almost thought he was imagining it…

_“Ten thousand people maybe more…_

_People talking without speaking_

_People hearing without listening_

_People writing songs, that voices never shared”_

_There it was…sad, desolate, broken…but there…_

_“No one dared, Disturb the sound, of silence…”_

Edge leaned against the wall, sockets closed as he joined in, their voices complimenting one another perfectly.

“Fools,” Said I You do not know

Silence like a cancer grows.”

Hear my words that I might teach you

Take my arms that I might reach you”

But my words like silent raindrops fell

And echoed in the wells of silence

 

The bathroom created the perfect acoustics…body slumped against the cold tile as he heard her despair in the words, her voice sounding closer as if she was standing right behind him on her side of the wall. Her voice thick with tears that he knew were still coming…

 

And the people bowed and prayed

To the neon god they made

And the sign flashed out its warning

In the words that it was forming

And the sign said ‘The words of prophets are written on the subway walls,

And tenement halls’

And whispered in the sounds, of silence”

 

Their voices faded into silence again…Edge standing there, listening as he heard her sniffle, hearing the bathroom door close…He wiped at his face, surprised to see his own tears on his fingertips, not knowing when he’d even started crying in the first place.


	2. Viva La Vida

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new routine is beginning...

Edge got out of bed again, same time as he did every morning. Still…it was quiet. He sighed and went to the bathroom, hearing her move around in there as well. He wanted to hear her again. He wanted to hear her sing like she used to. Full of life…not like she had the last time, so broken. He wondered what could have happened to snuff it out of someone like that…

 

Humans were different than monsters…the sound of despair in her voice, that kind of feeling…would be enough to break a monster. Even his soul had been feeling heavy just from hearing it. He waited until he had to leave, having to go into work. He didn’t see his neighbor when he came back. He could see her windows as he drove up to the apartment complex, all the lights were off but her car was in the lot.

 

Maybe she’d gone out? Like with some friends or something? He hoped so. Edge walked into his own apartment, going about his nightly routine, making himself some dinner and watching a couple things on television before he started to call it a night. When he was just about asleep he could hear movement on the other side of the wall. Maybe she’d been home all this time and had just gone to bed early?

 

He heard her call out something, fear in her voice, making his soul ache. Why did he even care? He didn’t know this woman. She didn’t know him. But still…He couldn’t help but feel like he needed to do something. Anything. So he started humming a lullaby that he’d heard humans singing to their children. It wasn’t a very long song, something about sunshine and not taking it away. It sort of resonated with him as he lay there, repeating the verses until he couldn’t hear her crying out anymore.

 

“ **You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You’ll never know dear how much I love you. Oh please don’t take my sunshine away.** ” He finished, waiting a moment before closing his sockets and drifting off to sleep himself.

 

The next morning, the same. The same routine. Although a little different now because now it was up to him to start the singing in the morning.

 

He waited until he was sure that she was in the bathroom or close to it before he started to sing, trying one of the songs he’d heard her sing a few times before.

 

**“I used to rule the world,**

**Seas would rise when I gave the word**

**Now in the morning I sleep alone**

**Sweep the streets I used to own”**

 

He could hear her coming into the bathroom but she didn’t sing. It was up to him again to carry on the little tradition the two of them had going on.

 

**“I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing**

**Roman Calvary choirs are singing**

**Be my mirror, my sword and shield**

**My missionaries in a foreign field”**

 

He leaned up against the wall, closing his sockets as he strained to hear if she was saying anything at all. At least she wasn’t crying…or at least he couldn’t hear it anyways.

 

**“For some reason I can’t explain**

**Once you go there was never**

**Never an honest word**

**And that was when I ruled the world”**

 

She joined in for the second run of the chorus, still sounding sad, harmonizing with him perfectly, her voice sounding drained.

 

“I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing

Roman Calvary choirs are singing

Be my mirror, my sword and shield

My missionaries in a foreign field”

 

He sighed as he let her finish the song on her own…he just wanted to hear that life come back to her voice again…maybe…maybe he should go over and see…he shook his head…

 

_“For some reason I can’t explain_

_I know Saint Peter won’t call my name_

_Never an honest word_

_But that was when I ruled the world”_

 

Silence again…and then he heard the sound of her tears and left her to her own…no…he wouldn’t even know what to say to her. What would he even say? They didn’t know one another. At least not enough to warrant him going over and asking what was wrong with her. Apparently, that wasn’t normal human custom. He sighed and headed out to do his errands, leaving this for another time when he could think about it.


	3. Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edge tries his best to lift her spirits...

The next couple days went about the same way. Edge taking her place in singing in the morning only sometimes he would wake up and start, going about his morning routine, singing songs that popped into his head. It’s funny. He hadn’t always enjoyed music like this. In fact he didn’t really know a whole lot of songs until he’d started listening in on his neighbor. She knew so many songs.

 

It was like she had a new song for every morning, sometimes repeating some of her favorites every now and then but…since she’d been going through whatever she’d been going through he’d started listening to more songs on his own. Learning the words so he’d have something to sing to her through the walls.

 

He was still worried about her. He hadn’t seen her curtains open in ages, she still cried at night when he was trying to go to sleep. Her car hadn’t seemed to move from the parking lot. Finally he got home from a long day at work, opening the door and rubbing the back of his skull with a sigh. It’d been a long day…people were so irritating sometimes. He took a drink out the fridge and twisted off the cap, taking a long drink and leaning up against his kitchen counter.

 

With a sigh he was about to go watch something on the television when he heard a soft tapping sound coming from his bedroom. He blinked slowly and went into the bedroom where he heard the tapping, like a knocking coming from the other side. “Y-you home?” Came the familiar soft voice on the other side, catching him by surprise. “I-if you are…could…could you maybe…sing something for me?” She asked…this was new…

 

He smiled to himself and thought for a moment before sitting on his bed, holding his drink in his hand as he leaned up against the wall.

 

**“When the days are cold and the cards all fold**

**And the saints we see are all made of gold**

**When your dreams all fail and the**

**Ones we hail**

**Are the worst of all and the blood’s run stale”**

 

He closed his eyes as he heard her tune in from the other side of the wall…

 

_“I wanna hide the truth, I want to shelter you_

_But with the beast inside, there’s nowhere we can hide_

_No matter what we breed, we still_

_Are made of greed._

_This is my kingdom come, this is my kingdom come.”_

 

They switched off again…

 

**“When you feel my heat, look into my eyes**

**It’s where my demons hide, it’s where my demons hide”**

 

She sang softly against the other side of the wall…

 

_“Don’t get too close, it’s dark inside_

_It’s where my demons hide, it’s where my demons hide”_

 

Edge almost felt that it was a bit of a warning…some bit of truth to her words as she sang…

 

**“At the curtain’s call is the last of all**

**When the lights fade out, all the sinners crawl**

**So they dug your grave and the masquerade**

**Will come calling out at the mess you made.”**

 

God why was her voice so heartbreaking? Was she crying again?

 

_“I don’t want to let you down, but I am hell bound_

_Though this is all for you I don’t want to hide the truth_

_No matter what we breed, we still are made of greed_

_This is my kingdom come, this is my kingdom come”_

 

It was a strange mixture, her voice haunting and hollow…aching…his trying to bring the life back into the music…

 

**“When you feel my heat, look into my eyes**

**It’s where my demons hide, it’s where my demons hide”**

_“Don’t get too close, it’s dark inside_

_It’s where my demons hide, it’s where my demons hide”_

 

He looked down at his bottle in his lap, hearing her on the other side…

 

**“They say it’s what you make, I say it’s up to fate**

_It’s woven in my soul, I need to let you go_

**Your eyes they shine so bright, I want to save their light**

_I can’t escape this now, unless you show me how”_

 

Their voices matched perfectly…a strange duet…

 

**“When you feel my heat, look into my eyes**

**It’s where my demons hide, it’s where my demons hide”**

_“Don’t get too close, it’s dark inside_

_It’s where my demons hide, it’s where my demons hide.”_

They sat in silence for a moment. Edge listening for her to say something…hearing her move around on the other side of the wall. “Thanks…I mean it…” He heard her say and smiled softly to himself taking a drink. “Sure thing.” He responded, hearing her move on her bed and then silence again. He sat there for a while, not sure what else he should do. But maybe...just maybe...this was the start of making things better? He missed hearing her voice the way it used to sound...He'd almost forgotten about what it sounded like.  



	4. My Immortal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some days are easier than others...

Edge had been keeping up the daily routine, singing songs over the last few days. He had even gotten into the habit of singing around the house, or occasionally singing at work. He couldn't help it. It just came naturally to him now. He came home for the night and was going about his business when he heard it...

 

_"I'm so tired of being here_

_Suppressed by all my childish fears_

_And if you have to leave_

_I wish that you would just leave_

_Your presence still lingers here_

_And it won't leave me alone"_

 

He paused what he was doing and listened a moment...that haunting tone in her voice again...

 

_"These wounds won't seem to heal_

_This pain is just too real_

_There's just too much that time can not erase"_

 

Edge could hear the pain in her voice again...she had been doing so well...

 

**"When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears**

**When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears**

**And I held your hand through all of these years**

**But you still have all of me."**

 

There was a sniffle on the other side...he hadn't heard that sound in a while...it made his Soul ache.

 

**"You used to captivate me by your resonating light**

**Now I'm bound by the life you left behind**

**Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams**

**Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me"**

 

Her voice came on the other side again, plaintive and depressed...

 

_"'These wounds won't seem to heal_

_This pain is just too real_

_There's just too much that time can not erase"_

 

He switched off for the chorus trying to raise her spirits.

 

**"When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears**

**When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears**

**And I held your hand through all of these years.**

**But you still have all of me"**

 

She came in again...

 

_"I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone_

_But though you're still with me_

_I've been alone all along"_

 

Edge took over the last bit of the song...hearing her on the other side of the wall, humming the melody still sniffling...

 

**"When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears**

**When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears**

**I held your hand through all of these years**

**But you still have all of me"**

 

They sat in silence...the song fading away as he pressed up against the wall listening for anything. "Hey...so...you doing alright?" He asked tentatively, not sure if he was going to get a response. "I'm not really sure yet. But I don't really think so." She sighed and he nodded to himself. "Anything I can do to help?" He asked, looking over his shoulder at the wall. He heard some movement and a hiss of pain then choked laughter from the other side. "Can you turn back time? Because that would really help me out a lot." Edge chuckled a little awkwardly, scratching his jaw.

 

"Thanks though...I got a busy day tomorrow...same time?" She asked, sounding hopeful and he nodded, belatedly realizing that she couldn't see him. "Yeah. Same time. Same place. Good night." He heard her move away from the wall and he got ready for bed. He was getting a new client tomorrow so he might as well get some sleep. 


	5. Hurts Like Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edge gets a new client...

Edge was up at his normal time, just shy of his alarm as he heard movement from the other side of the wall. She was up. This time before he was. The first time in months actually. He got up and went to the bathroom, following along side her movements. That's when he heard her voice from the other side. Just as sad as before. Haunting...

 

_"How can I say this without breaking_

_How can I say this without taking over_

_How can I put it down into words_

_When it's almost too much for my soul alone."_

 

He hadn't heard this song before, he didn't know the words...

 

_"I loved and I loved and I lost you_

_I loved and I loved and I lost you_

_I loved and I loved and I lost you_

_And it hurts like hell_

_Yeah it hurts like hell"_

 

He could hear the loneliness in her voice, it sounded thick with emotion...

 

_"I don't want them to know the secrets_

_I don't want them to know the way I loved you_

_I don't think they'd understand it, no_

_I don't think they would accept me, no"_

 

Edge turned his gaze to the wall, curious to the way she was singing...as if...she truly had lost someone really close to her...he heard her move into the chorus again, voice soft and longing...

 

_"Dreams fight with machines_

_Inside my head like adversaries_

_Come wrestle me free_

_Clean from the war_

_Your heart fits like a key_

_Into the lock on the wall_

_I turn it over, I turn it over_

_But I can't escape"_

 

He frowned...was she trying to tell him something? She had to know that he was listening to her. Right? This was their thing...

 

_"I loved and I loved and I lost you_

_I loved and I loved and I lost you_

_I loved and I loved and I lost you_

_And it hurts like hell"_

 

She finished her song, the haunting notes fading away into soft cries...He waited a moment, unsure of what he should do. He rapped lightly on the wall to get her attention. "You alright?" He asked and he heard her sniffle from the other side. "I'm fine. Just...I'm fine. Thanks." She cleared her throat and made a movement on the other side. "I just want this day to be over with already. You know, just one of those kinds of days I guess." He nodded to himself on the other side of the wall. "I know. I hope it gets better though. Just keep your head up." He shook his head, that was stupid. Very stupid.

He waited a moment and heard her laugh softly. "Thanks. That's...that's uh...good advice. I've got to get going though. Later?" He chuckled and grabbed his tooth brush. "Yeah. Later." He replied and the two went their separate ways, getting ready for the day.

 

Edge walked into the building, his bag slung over his shoulder as he signed in at the receptionist. "You've got a newbie today don't you?" The woman asked with a polite smile, her scrubs matching the blue in her eyes. "Yeah. Gonna try and get them up and walking up again. Guess they were in a pretty bad accident a couple months ago." Edge made polite conversation, putting on his badge and walking inside the facility. He waved to a couple of his coworkers and made his way to his section of the building, parallel bars, soft mats, everything a physical therapist could need.

 

He loved his job. Making the weak strong again...stronger than before. He really enjoyed it and people seemed to take to his somewhat gruff nature for whatever reason. His newest client was going to be a long and difficult road. Paralysis from the waist down from a car accident a couple months back. He'd heard through the grapevine that she'd lost quite a lot, more than most...he shook his head as he set up for the day thinking about what she must have gone through. He had seen all sorts come through these doors, war veterans, abuse survivors, people recovering from life saving surgeries. Keeping a professional front, keeping his distance emotionally was one of the things he was really good at.

 

That is until he turned to see his client being wheeled in by a nurse. "Wow...small world." His neighbor blinked up at him, a faint flush to her cheeks. Edge put two and two together quickly, it all made sense now. "Heh, yeah. Small world." He scratched the back of his skull and nodded to the nurse who left the two of them. "I always kind of wondered what you did for a living. Never pictured you working in a place like this though." She wheeled herself over to the bench as he took a seat next to her. "Always sort of thought you were in some sort of biker gang or something." He chuckled and shook his skull, grabbing his clip board.

 

"I get that a lot. So I don't think we've been properly introduced." He extended his hand to her to shake and she took it gingerly in her hand. "I'm Edge." He smiled and she nodded. "Maria. Nice to actually meet you. Although not really the best kind of situation to be meeting for real I guess." He nodded with a smile, shaking her hand and getting ready for what they were actually here for.

 

"I know you're not really feeling up to this today so how about we just take it slow? Just sort of see where we are and build on that at your own pace. Sound good?" He smiled, Maria hesitating for a moment before she finally relented. 

After a couple of hours of working together Edge helped her back into the wheel chair, Maria's hair curling at her temple with sweat. "You did really well. There's still a long way to go but I think we can keep making progress little by little. Plus I'm right next door if you need anything." Maria nodded, her face flushed from the session, taking a swig of water that he offered her. "Yeah lucky me. Hey Edge?" She looked up at him as he started to wheel her out to the front of the building, catching his attention. "Yeah?" He looked down at her as she glanced away, but not before he noticed the blush on her cheeks. "Thank you. Really...I mean it." He nodded, handing her off to the nurse and promising to talk to her later.

 

He watched her go, someone helping her get into the car with another woman. He could tell she was faking all of it. The smiles. The half hearted jokes. He could see it in the way her smile didn't bother reaching her eyes. He sighed as he saw her drive off with the other woman. This was going to be a long road...


End file.
